Utah!

[writermom]

Quote:
Sorry about your Welsummer. My Welsummer started laying while I was out of town last week, and the housesitters were horrified to discover the pile of feathers that erupted from the hens when the Welsummer tried to boot my broody cochin mix hen out of the box. The cochin was not willing to move, and the Welsummer was not willing to use the other nest box. Stubborn girls. All is okay now, buy my little bantam cochin mix is no longer at the top of the pecking order.

I adore my Welsummer, but I'm afraid she's going to upset the neighbors with her loud squawking. If I have to get rid of her due to her noise, I'll keep you in mind as a possible hen adopter. She is such a beautiful hen, so I hope the neighbors don't take issue with her.

My vacation last week was the first time I've left my chickens in someone else's care. I had nightmares about coming home and having an entirely new flock of birds and being told that my original flock had died and was buried in my yard. Ugh! Please tell me I'm not the only one who obsesses over the care and well-being of their chickens.

 

[muddypuddles]

Does anyone know what the Sugarhouse post office's procedure is for shipped chicks? I have chicks coming next week and the email they sent said to contact my post office to find out how they handle things--whether they call or I would need to call or even if they deliver. When I called, all I got was the stupid automated run-around thing...."you can say buy stamps, postal hours or passports"---nothing like "delivery of fuzzy butts". Ugh! I guess I'll have to go stand in line and ask in person--there's always a line there

 

[ElkMtnCove]

Sorry, I know nothing about Sugarhouse's office but can offer some experience that might help. I ordered from McMurray over a holiday weekend. Yup -- chick's were stuck in the system for FOUR days! All little antwerps were DOA and only about 6 of the 25 order survived.

I was heart broken.

My post office knew it (Park City) and felt bad and was aware I had replacement order coming. However.... was I ever shocked to get a call on a Sunday from the Main PO in Salt Lake (off 21st)!! They offered that I could go get them or wait for Monday in Park City. Of course I jumped right in my car. I told the worker about my last batch and he apologized (and remembered a quiet box). He said they often try to call when they can.

So just maybe with the holiday weekend you could go to the Main Office and ask if you can get called before they even ship to Sugarhouse. This heat could kill those little chickies. I'd seroiusly take some cookies or something.... it just might work!

Best of luck -- hearing peeps when they arrive is better than Christmas!

Julie

 

[PacsMan]

Sandy Post office was great. We called a few days before they arrived. (mid-week). They called us at 7AM, and we went in before they opened and picked them up.

Also, to call Sugarhouse post office, make sure you call the local number (485-7925) not the 800 number.

Good luck!

 

[muddypuddles]

Thanks Marty for the number. Duh, I thought I DID call the local number but that one hooked me up with a LIVE person! Also thanks elkmtn for the advice--I just might try that

 

[4girls]

New to the list, I'm in Farr West (Smith and Edwards anyone?) Hey, have any of your hens stopped laying with the heat we've had? Haven't seen an egg for 6 days. We've looked ALL OVER for another nest etc... nothing...
Cami
Reba, Nellie, Joy and Crab Man

 

[Stands With A Fiddle]

Thanks for that post. We've had a slow down as well. I also asked another chicken person and she has had a slow down. Part of it is that one good layer went broody. I think some good layers might be starting to molt, but the peep squad (who is now fully grown) has not caught up to the point they can pick up the slack.

 

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
We have eleven hens and had one day last week where we got ONE egg. So yeah, some have stopped and most have drastically slowed down, maybe an egg every four days.

Anybody else having a horrible hawk problem this year? We've had a pair of red-tailed hawks become obsessed with our chickens. Even though the ladies have been in lock-down for weeks, the hawks won't give up. Either circle overhead or perch in the cottonwood tree and watch them. This morning under the strictest of supervision we let them out.... a hawk appeared minutes later. We rushed to lock them back up.

We were hoping once they realized they wouldn't get a chicken from our yard, they'd move on, but they aren't. I'm starting to think it's because they've maybe found chicken dinner at the neighbors.

 

[kimbobim]

I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one who is experiencing a drastic slow-down. Last week we were getting 7-9 eggs a day, this week we're lucky to get 3. Does this last all summer? I'm starting to wonder if I need to start hoarding eggs - no more freebies to the neighbors until this picks up! I've been giving the ladies cold treats - watermelon, etc. - and changing their water a couple of times a day. They don't seem stressed or too hot - for example I haven't seen any panting or standing with their wings out from their sides. They hang out under our deck all day, so I moved a waterer there, too. They love it under there, scratching in the cool dirt and running out whenever they hear the screen door slam.

Our Australorp went broody, AGAIN. We keep moving her out of there, but ever chance she gets she sneaks back in. Does having one go broody effect the laying of the others? They're all ticked off that she's hogging their favorite nesting box. I wish I had a camera last week - there were four hens standing in line for that one box. Why can't they just use one of the other two empty boxes?

I've notice a few hawks this year, but haven't seen them in a few weeks. I think they were more interested in the critters in the vacant lots behind us. They were pretty small hawks, too, compared to what I saw last year, but I can't really tell the different types apart. The ones we had migrating through last year were fairly large and really freaked the ladies, they'd scream and run for cover. They don't seem to notice these smaller hawks. We got a few babies a couple of weeks ago - 7 weeks old now - but they're not allowed to free range at all. They live in a tractor and haven't noticed the hawks, yet.

 

[thavok]

Anyone know where I can get organic feed up in the ogden area?